Long time, no blog.

Wow, I just realized that it's been almost 2 weeks since I was last here!

We had a really good Christmas! I got an air compressor!! I was so excited! It's funny because they were having on the radio worst Christmas gifts you've received and air compressor was at the top for women! (I knew I wasn't normal. :-) I know that sounds dumb but I have wanted one for years. A couple of years ago Mike got me a cordless drill. One of the best gifts ever!

I can't wait to start using it! I get so tired of waiting for Mike to come home to walk the bikes down to the gas station to air up the tires, or we wake up with a flat on the car. It will be great! I also got the hand held Shiatsu massager and the chair massager. They are wonderful. Mike spent way more on me than normal but the last two things for more for "medicinal" purposes.

They have been helping with my fibromyalgia pain so it’s really worth it!

We have been working franticly trying to get the new Best of Living On A Dime e-books done. We are hoping to launch the new products on the 1st. We are helping a friend move today and tomorrow so I hope we can get it finished! ☺

I might do a print version of them. It’s more than 200 pages long. If you would be interested in a print version then email me, editor@livingadime.com and let me know. If I have enough people that would like it then I will have some printed. It would be a paperback and about $20. I never realized how much info. we have until I started compiling it!

Well, I better run. I’ve got 5 kids here today. I’m watching my friend who’s moving 2 kids also. They are all resting so I better get something done!


HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tawra Kellam

Why you should give.

I just had to share a couple of stories about how God provides when you tithe. People often don’t want to give the 10% that He asks us to give. They either think they don’t have enough money or they don’t “see” God working in their lives so they figure it isn’t working.

Well, it isn’t about Him giving back to you. If you are doing it for selfish motives then of course you’re not going to see it working in your life. He wants us to give out of our love for Him because we love him and want to see that love passed on through helping others.

Here is a great example of how it works.

Two faithful readers Ron and Angel are both on disability. They have a hard time making ends meet every month but they are faithful to give each month. Well, they had a horrible car. They never knew if the poor thing would make from point A to point B each time. Well, they could have not given and kept their tithe because the needed a new car but they didn’t. They even sent us $100 when we were having a hard time a few months ago.

Well, this last month someone just GAVE them a car! They were going to get rid of it and they just felt like they should give it to Ron and Angel. Now, if that isn’t God working I don’t know what is!!

Again giving to God isn’t about what he will do for you but if you are faithful he will give back to in return some how, some day.

Tawra

A teaching moment.

I'm always asked "how do I teach my kids about money?" Well, you talk to them about it!

I don't know why this is such a touchy subject with parents and kids. I talk all the time about to my kids about money. Here's a perfect example.

My son purchased some "fake" Crocs at Walmart about a month ago. They both have just been "dying" for a pair. He took his money and bought some at Walmart.

Well, a kid at school was teasing him because he didn't have the "real" thing. So I said "well, BJ do you think that it's worth paying $25 more for your Crocs so you have a picture of a crocodile on the side?" He said "no way!" I said "well, if you want to pay $30 for your Crocs instead of the $5 you are more than welcome to spend your money and do it. But I can think of a lot of other things you would rather buy instead." He said "yeah, there's no way I would pay $30 when I could pay $5 instead. (so and so) is stupid for paying that much" Of course then we had to discuss why people aren't wise in spending their money and how we shouldn't call "them" stupid but maybe their "actions" are stupid. :-)

See, no big deal. He got he point and is learning money management and has a good self-esteem still. It's really not that hard, just don't be afraid to talk to your kids about it.

Tawra

P.S. Just so I don't get a bunch of e-mails. I know that "fake" Crocs aren't the same as "real" Crocs but my son doesn't have foot problems so it doesn't matter for him.

Christmas is almost here.

We are getting ready for Christmas. I have almost all my shopping done. The only thing I don't have is something for my daughter. It's crazy but she doesn't really want anything. The two things she does want both Grandma's got her. (magnetic earrings and a $20 digital camera) Now the "S" man is scrambling to figure something out.

We are going to have Christmas at mom's with my brother and his family. We were thinking of going to Colorado afterwards but we are going to be putting out our new Best of Living On A Dime e-books at the first of the year and I'm not done yet. :-) Besides even though we love Colorado, it's not really a vacation (the restful kind we need) with 3 kids. :-)

We are all sick again. Mike and I have had a cold for 4 weeks and now David has his second ear infection in a month. BJ and Elly were both sick last week with some sort of cold too. This is starting to get old!

My cousin sent me some of her extra Crocs and they seem to be helping my leg pain. It's not totally gone but it's much improved. At least I feel like walking now and am not in tears every night. I'm very thankful for the gift! I really didn't want to put down $40 for another pair of shoes if they didn't work.

My CFS and FM aren't doing well but I think it's because I have been eating horribly the last couple of months. I think I am more sensitive to sugar than I thought and it's making me sicker. When I went off of all the sugar almost 2 years ago I felt better but not healed. It wasn't motivation enough for me keep off of it. :-) I am going to try again cutting it out after Christmas and see if that will "re-stabilize" me.

Thanks to everyone for all your supportive emails and concerns. I'm off the steroids now. The pain was unbearable but so were the side effects from the steroids. I am trying a new medication called Lyrica and see if that will help.

We were very excited to mail the check to pay off our car a couple of days ago! We are working really hard to get the rest of it paid off.

It's funny because I watched a show on N. Korea the other day and how they live. Even though I know it's their government that is giving them that standard of living it is just sickening to see how much waste we have. I was so ashamed of us as a nation. Here we are in debt up to our eyeballs, complaining every day about almost everything in our lives because we don't "earn" enough and there are countries where the "rich" family live in a 700 sq. ft. apartment and eat rice for 2 meals a day.

That kind of stuff has always bothered me, which is why I am the way I am when it comes to spending money. I have to say that the older I get the more dogmatic I become in my thinking. Really there's no reason most American's should have any debt at all including their house! It's really a shame how much stress we put on ourselves from our greed.

Mom lived in Japan for awhile growing up and she said she was totally changed by it. That's why even though she lives on $500 a month she doesn't complain about not having money that much. We are going to go ahead and work on finishing her story. Hopefully it will be done around the Spring.

Well, that's about all that's happening around here. I hope everyone is almost ready for Christmas!!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

I saved the cake!

Well, Mike's cake was saved after all!

I decided to use the good old stand by. I made some cupcake filling, filled and frosted the cake. Then froze it to set. I then melted a package of chocolate chips with 1 cup of cream and poured it over top. Let it chill again and viola! A wonderful cake was made!

Tawra


Either one of these work great. I prefer #1 it's just a bit creamier.

Cupcake Filling #1

¼ lb. butter 2/3 cup evaporated milk
½ cup shortening 2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer without stopping for 30 minutes. With a long pastry tip, poke a hole in the center of each cupcake and fill. Fills one cupcake recipe or makes a good center filling for layer cakes. This is just like the filling in the cupcakes at the store. Kids love to take them in lunches and they freeze well. Eat right from the freezer either thawed or frozen. Frost cupcakes as desired. Fills 20-24 cupcakes.


Cupcake Filling #2

5 Tbsp. flour ½ cup shortening
1 cup milk ¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick) 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour and milk in saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until a paste forms. Cool. In a bowl, cream together butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla. Beat 5 minutes. Add flour paste and mix 5 more minutes. With a long pastry tip, poke a hole in the center of each cupcake and fill. Fills one cupcake recipe or makes a good center filling for layer cakes. Fills 20-24 cupcakes.

WANT TO BE ON CNN?

Living On A Dime And CNN Want To Make An Example Out Of You!

December 12, 2006

CNN news just called us and they have a special request. They will be
producing a news story about families who celebrate Christmas after
Christmas in order to save money using the after Christmas sales to buy
gifts and other items.

CNN is looking for a family to participate in an on-camera interview.
If you plan to do this to save money or if you just happen to be
celebrating after Christmas and expect to be taking advantage of the
after Christmas sales to save a bundle, you may be good for this story.

If you are interested in being a part of the story, please contact me
as soon as possible. I can give you as many of the details as I have
and if you're interested, I can forward your information to the show
producer.

Though we aren't celebrating after Christmas ourselves, we will
probably by the experts for their story.


If any of you are interested, please email me ASAP!!!

Thanks!

Tawra
editor@livingonadime.com

I've lost the frugal touch!

Augh, did I have a major cooking failure today! (No comment from my cousins if your reading. :-)

I went to make Mike's birthday cake and was going to make a special one with chocolate cake, chocolate butter cream and chocolate Ganache over the top. Not cheap but now it's really not cheap!

I decided to try a new recipe and I wasted 5 cups of sugar, 9 eggs and a bag of chocolate chips trying to get the chocolate buttercream frosting to work. (I guess you have to give me credit for trying it THREE times! :-)

After the last time I ended up throwing it down the drain. What a mess! Now I am trying to decide what I should do for a filling. I may just go and get a jar of hot fudge ice cream topping and do that instead. I'm almost afraid to trying anything else now. :-)

I've had my new shoes almost two weeks and they haven't even come close to helping. A cousin of mine who is the same shoe size as me had an extra pair of Crocs that she sent me. I am going to try those for a couple of days and see if they help.

I called and it's going to be $400 to go to the foot doctor and get new insoles made. I really don't want to pay that much but I will if the Crocs don't work. (Somehow paying 1/6 of what you did for your car for shoes just doesn’t seem right. :-)

I'm not in the best frame of mind since I have been in bed 2 days with a really bad cold but man, wasting all those ingredients and the shoe thing is really irritating!

The good news is for Mike’s birthday we get to go for free to the Texas Road House for dinner. We’ve never been there but I hear it’s really good. We got a $40 gift certificate and the kids have 3 free kids meals with it. That will be a nice treat for his birthday.

Other good news is that a friend of my has set of plastic golf clubs that I can have that her son has out grown. I was going to get a set for David (3) but haven't been able to find one at the thrift store. I hate buying new toys for kids that young! You never know if they will play with them or not so I was overjoyed to find out that I can get those for free! Yeah!! (still doesn't quite make up for the shoes! LOL)

Tawra

I've created a monster. :-)

Well, our elf, Elferd has been visiting the kids each night leaving a treat and a note.

Friday, Elly came home from school and brought about 10 letters to Santa from kids in her class for Elferd to take back to Santa.

In today's letter she asked if Santa would answer all of them!

Wow, things you never think of when your family elf comes to visit! hehehe

Tawra
(who it looks like might be getting strep so if I'm gone a few days that why! :-)

Confessions of a Tightwad and What we've been up to.

Well, I must confess. My tightwadness just flew out the door the other day. I can't believe I did this but I spent $100 on shoes!

I admit I am having buyer's remorse. It was a really dumb thing to do!

I went off my medication that helps my muscle pain because of the side effects. I have been in really bad pain. My legs and feet have felt like they are on fire and every other part of my body hurt so bad that it was even hard to sit back in a chair and lift my arms. I've been in tears almost every night it's been so bad.

That is part of the reason we are trying to decide if we should keep going with this business. I have been so sick and in pain that I'm not able to do much.

So last week on the way to the doctor I stopped by a shoe store to try on some SAS and ECCO. Well neither one of those worked but they did have a New Balance that felt good. So in a moment of despair I bought them! Augh!

I went to the doctor after that and he put me Prednisone, Lyrica (new nerve pain killer) and narcotics. Well, even after being on all of that my pain is reduced but not gone by a long shot. The Lyrica takes 2-3 weeks to really start working so we will see but now that I'm back in my right mind I can't believe I did I that!

I'm just posting this so you will know that I momentary lapse of money management stupidity myself! :-)


As for our new projects:

We were working hard on the budgeting e-book and mom's story before Elly got hurt. We have run into a snag in that mom's story doesn't really have a "happy" ending at the moment. We aren't sure how to finish it and we aren't sure if people will actually want to hear some of the things she went through. So we are trying to figure out what to do with it. If we should keep going or just wait and not finish it right now, we aren’t sure which.

I am working on putting together 5 e-books with all our articles, The Best of Living On A Dime. We have had several requests for it and it looks like it may be done by the New Year!!! Yeah!!!!

As for the budgeting e-book, that is next on the list after I get The Best of Living On A Dime done. I think I will combine my how to transfer credit cards e-book and the budgeting e-book together. (I think. :-)

We were going to put a short version of mom's story in the budgeting e-book but we were asked by the couple of people who reviewed the first draft to put her budget in there. The problem is the numbers just don't work out on paper. Every month it's a miracle that she pays her bills so no one would believe it.

So that is where we are at the moment. Hopefully in 3 weeks we will have 5 new e-books out and ready for you!! Yeah!!!


Elly, is doing very well! She is asking to ride her bike and we are trying to keep her from "flying" down the stairs every time she goes to her room! :-) We go in, in two weeks for a check up but it looks like a full recovery!

That's all for now. I just thought I would get my un-frugalness off my chest and you all know how we are doing.

Tawra

Making Cookies.

I made some Christmas cookies with the kids today. I had purchased several boxes of Christmas cake mix on clearance after Christmas last year.

They had Christmas sprinkles in them and so I used the mix and saved the sprinkles and used them today for Christmas cookies.

Basically I got free sprinkles for the cookies. BTW, the cake mix was only .49.

As a side note, I just don't "get" baking cookies with kids. What a pain! David (3) was helping. He had flour all over him, it took 3 times a long to do and was just a big mess. Cooking with kids is one area that is not my forte. I would much rather do during nap time by myself and get it done and over with 1/4 of the clean up! :-)

Tawra

Christmas Decorating Ideas

Hi everyone,

I came across an offer that could save you a LOT of money if you get it quickly, and I thought might be a big help to all of my readers.

I know for many of us, are our budgets are tight. Many of us, including me, deal with debt, unexpected expenses and dwindling financial resources, but still think providing a warm, comforting home for our familes is important. Especially these days. Especially during the holidays! How To Decorate Like a Pro, for Pennies!


I really have to cut to the chase on this one. Kathy Wilson, (see her great articles below!), has agreed to let me offer it for the special discount of just $14.95, for our readers. But it's better than that, she is offering both her ebooks, a 2-for-1 offer, for that same price! Get How to Decorate Like a Pro, for Pennies" and "How to Decorate Like a Pro, for Christmas" for the one low $14.95 price!

You also get 6 free bonus ebooks! I'm not going to get into a lot of detail about the ebook except that Kathy is a home and garden expert...she is known workdwide as "The Budget Decorator", authored a book that spent time at #1 on Amazon's Home and Garden Topseller list (you get a free ecopy when you buy the ebook), and is the editor of some of the best home and garden websites around, including TheBudgetDecorator.com and DecoratingYourSmallSpace.com.

I will let her explain it to you when you visit her web site. She says it a lot better than I can!

As a bonus to this offer-

*You will receive special printable documents for each room, including budget worksheets to keep you on track.


*You get the latest links to great decorating resources on the 'net, (She did all the work for you!)


*Step by step project sheets with photos of the completed projects.


*ONE ON ONE SUPPORT! She will be available to students via email anytime they have a question! That's like getting a free email consultation, a $30 value right there!

Bonus #1 Free!
Free ecopy of her Amazon Top Seller Book "Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20: The Budget Decorator's Bible!

Bonus #2 Free!
*Ebook-"The Budget Decorator Project Sheets" By Kathleen Wilson

Bonus #3 Free!
*Ebook- "Dealing With Debt"By Michelle Jones, Editor of BetterBudgeting.com

Bonus #4 Free!
*Ebook- "The Creative Homemaking Guide to Holiday Recipes" by Rachel Paxton

Bonus #5 Free!
*Ebook- "How To Budget Successfully" By Terry Rigg

Bonus #6 Free! 111 Great Money Saving Ideas by Moms Making It!


I know many of you are struggling with your paycheck every payday and I also know that
How To Decorate Like a Pro, for Pennies" and "How to Decorate Like a Pro, for Christmas can help. According to Kathy, "You can have a warm home filled with love for your family, and save lots of cash while doing it! If you don't know where to start, start here!"

Please don't miss this exceptional offer by waiting. In a few days, December 14, it will be gone.

Kathy has set up a special page to tell you all about the book, and the special 2-for-1 offer.. Please take some time and visit her and take advantage of what she is doing for us. Here's the link to visit her.

Tawra

(Don't worry, I don't intend to make these types of messages an everyday habit, but I truly think this is something we could all benefit from!)

Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays:
How to Spruce up Your Home Before You Deck the Halls
By Kathy Wilson
www.TheBudgetDecorator.com


The Holidays are here, and most of us are getting ready to deck the halls in one way or another. Before you pull out the tinsel and tree, take a couple hours to make some quick changes to update your rooms, and provide a great background for your Christmas and holiday trimmings.


Think of decorating for the holidays as making a cake. Before you get to the icing, you need to have a good foundation. Then you add the filling, and lastly comes the decoration on top! Here are ideas for all three!


*If you haven’t already, pick a focal point wall in your room. This can be the wall you see as you enter, the wall the tv is on, or the wall that contains a wonderful view! Now make that wall special, a place where a person’s eyes are drawn to. This gives your room importance and style. Try painting that one wall a rich color such as butterscotch gold, deep sage, plum, steel blue, or barn red. These are all seen as the “new neutrals” because they are muted colors, and blend well into your color schemes.


*Add more importance to your focal wall by placing a large piece of furniture there, group artwork, or paint panels of coordinating colors to represent paneled walls.


*Now use your large furniture pieces to create conversation areas in the room, group some chairs around a fireplace, rearrange your couch and loveseat to face each other, or try something on a diagonal to add style. You can use an online furniture arrangement for free by going to www.HGTV.com and clicking on the “Room Planner”.


*Now add your filling! Using your focal wall color, add throws and pillows, use coordinating ribbon to tie up your curtains, or frame some pretty fabric with your colors to fill that empty wall. Adding winter white this time of year will perk up any color scheme!


*If you only have blinds at the window, now is the time to layer with curtains! Nothing fancy, just simple drawback curtains from the discount shop or the sewing matching, tied back with that matching ribbon, of course! Layer table cloths and runners, and add placemats to your kitchen table.


*Ok, now that you’ve spent an afternoon or two making the room a coordinated showpiece, time for the icing! Let loose with your holiday decorating, remember there is always a way to make what you don’t have, and fill your home with love for the season…now that you have a background to be proud of!(And it only took an afternoon!)



Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget decorating and homemaking ideas, and to sign up for her free newsletter, to visit her Click Here.

Budget Christmas Ornaments

Budget Christmas Ornaments Step by Step
by Kathy Wilson
www.TheBudgetDecorator.com


Sometimes filling in that holiday tree can be a very expensive proposition! Here are some great easy and cheap projects to deck the halls without breaking the bank!


Paper fans.

You can create some very elegant ornaments for your tree using paper and a little ribbon.

You'll need:
Paper, decorative preferable, old wallpaper, wrapping paper, or even magazine pages

Stapler or glue

Ribbon to hang


Cut your chosen paper into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Fold the paper accordian style all the way acrosss the paper. Now close the accordian at one end, and staple or glue to hold. Tie a ribbon around the closed end, and hang on the tree! This one works best in larger numbers for good impact, and looks very upscale. Tip: A slightly stiffer paper make fans that last longer, some dollar shops sell wallpaper border for a buck!




Dipped cones

No, we're not talking ice cream here! These fit well into a rustic, country, or old fashioned Christmas theme. You'll need:

Pinecones

White paint (leftover works fine) for snow

Ribbon

Foil or wax paper to dry on

Collect pine cones that fit the scale of your tree. If you have a small tree, use small cones! You can also use these in a basket, mantel, or tabletop display. Note: Use good judgement in collecting your pinecones, ask permission if need be!

Pour white paint into an open bowl large enough to dip the pinecones in. Dip the cone into the paint halfway, let excess paint drip off, then set on the wax paper to dry. When completely dry, wrap a piece of ribbon around the top tightly and tie, use ribbon to hang if desired. You can eliminate the ribbon step if you are not hanging them.



Weathered Ornaments

You can easily and quickly create weathered, rustic ornaments that fit into mearly any theme with a small amount of paint and some wooden cutouts.

You'll need:

Unfinished wooden cutouts(You can buy them at your craft store cheaply.)

Metallic or earth tone craft paint

Dry paint brush

Ribbon or twine

Using your paint brush, dip into paint and then dab off most of the paint so the brush is nearly dry. In an up an down motion, brush quickly over the surface of the cutout, giving a broken, antique look. Let dry.

Use ribbon or twine to hang, and love your simple and quick creation!



"Use What You Have" Ornaments

There are many beloved items around our homes that can be used as wonderful and personal decoarions during the holidays season, if only we open out eyes. I love to use cookie cutters hung with ribbon to remind me of making holiday cookies with my children. Other ideas include the silverware you got as a wedding present 20 years ago, your childrens baby booties, or costume jewelry your Aunt Marge left you. Use your imagination, and look around your home for things that speak of your family.

I wish you all a wonderful and blessed Holiday, and remember that a tight budget shouldn't keep you from decorating your home for the Holidays!


Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget decorating and homemaking ideas, and to sign up for her free newsletter, to visit her Click Here.